Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Palestinians: Foreign Relations

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of their state of relations with the Palestinian Authorityfollowing the recall of the Head of Mission of the Palestinian Authority to the UK in response to the 2030 roadmap for UK-Israel bilateral relations, signed on 21 March.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Palestinian Head of Mission Zomlot and I (Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon) met on 31 March to discuss this issue, and I reaffirmed the UK's long-standing commitment to a two-state solution based on 1967 lines. The UK is a friend of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestinian people. We support Palestinians in realising self-determination through an independent sovereign, and unified Palestinian state, in the West Bank and Gaza.

China and India: Pollution Control

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking toencourage a dialogue between China and India on reducing the pollution of waterways by industrial antibiotic residues.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK engages with both China and India bilaterally together on global issues such as health and climate. For example, 'Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has supported five projects directly relevant to anti-microbial resistance through the 'India-UK: Tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment from antimicrobial manufacturing waste' call. Recognising that these are transnational issues, the UK continues to emphasise the need for countries to work together to find solutions.

Israel: Bedouin

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the diplomatic visit on 30 January to the Palestinian community of Khan Al Ahmar regarding the threat of demolition facing that village, what was the outcome of their meeting in London with the Israeli Foreign Minister about the future of Khan Al Ahmar.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary and I (Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon) met Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in London on 21 March and emphasised the need to de-escalate the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories as we approach the convergence of several religious festivals. That included asking the Israeli Government to refrain from unilateral actions, such as demolitions, that make achieving this de-escalation more difficult. I know that the Prime Minister also echoed this message of de-escalation in his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 24 March. We oppose the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar, and we continue to urge Israel to cease evictions and demolitions of Palestinian property in Area C, which cause unnecessary suffering and in all, but the most exceptional circumstances are illegal under international law.

Israel: Palestinians

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government what response they have received from the government of Israel regarding the joint call that they and diplomatic representatives from 16 other countries made on the 13 March to reverse the eviction of six Palestinian families fromSilwan, Sheikh Jarrah, and the Old City of Jerusalem.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: No such response was received, and I [Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon] have raised this matter with the Israeli ambassador separately. Demolitions and evictions from their homes cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians, call into question Israel's commitment to a viable two-state solution and, in all but the most exceptional of cases, demolitions by an occupying power are contrary to international humanitarian law. Officials from our embassy in Tel Aviv have repeatedly raised our apprehensions about demolitions with Israeli ministers and senior officials and we continue to support Palestinians through UK funding to legal aid programmes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Foreign Secretary has reinforced this message on 7 April when he called for de-escalation and made clear the need to avoid actions which escalate tensions and violence.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Rwanda

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of relations between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda; and what assessment they have made of the impact of Rwanda’s backing of the M23 rebels on the UK’s agreements with Rwanda.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK, alongside international partners, continues to raise the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo with the Government of Rwanda and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo at the highest levels. We condemn the continuing advance of M23, a UN-sanctioned armed group. On 13 March, the Foreign Secretary and the Rwandan Foreign Minister discussed the importance of meeting commitments made under the Nairobi and Luanda political processes. It is vital that all parties work together to secure real de-escalation on the ground and an enduring political solution.

Burkina Faso: Russia

Lord Boateng: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Russian influence in Burkina Faso, and the role of the Wagner Group in that country.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Instability in Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel region is rising. Partnerships with Wagner Group are counterproductive to long-term stability and we know Wagner Group commits human rights abuses. We are working closely with international partners to counter the malign use of such proxies by Russia and have designated the Wagner Group, and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, under the Russia Sanctions Regime. The UK remains committed to supporting regional security through our humanitarian, development, and stabilisation programmes.

Sahel: Security

Lord Boateng: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they have provided to (1) the African Union, (2) the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), (3) the Commonwealth nations in West Africa, to counter the threat posed by terrorists in the Sahel.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK works with and supports the efforts of the African Union, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and countries across West Africa to counter the threat posed by terrorism, foster long-term stability and address the underlying drivers of conflict. The UK is assessing what support it can offer to the Accra Initiative, a regional security initiative, to help prevent the spread of violence and instability from the Sahel to coastal West Africa. In addition, the UK has strategic security partnerships with Ghana and Nigeria, which includes supporting Nigeria to address the causes of insecurity and conflict. The UK also continues to support stabilisation efforts in the Lake Chad Basin to build the capacity of the security sector in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad to respond to violent extremism and protect civilians affected by conflict.

Sahel: Al Qaeda

Lord Boateng: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat of Al-Qaeda in the Sahel region; and what steps they intend to take to counter that threat.

Lord Boateng: To ask His Majesty's Government when they last made representations to the government of Burkina Faso about (1) the humanitarian situation in that country, (2) the threat posed by Al-Qaeda in the region; and what assistance they have provided to the people of that country in tackling hunger and terrorism.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is closely monitoring events in Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel region including the worsening security and humanitarian situation. The UK is committed to supporting stability and development in Burkina Faso. During a visit to Niger in February, the Minister for Development and Africa, Minister Mitchell, announced a new Sahel Regional Fund which will provide urgent life-saving aid and lasting, dignified solutions to people displaced by conflict and violence in hotspots of humanitarian need in the Sahel region, including Burkina Faso. The UK has committed £33 million to this fund up to 2026. Officials also visited Burkina Faso in January and raised concerns about the security and humanitarian situation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The UK continues to monitor closely the terrorist threat from the Sahel, including from Al Qaeda, and has proscribed the organisation and its associated groups such as Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM).

Sahel: Security

Lord Boateng: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposed federation between Mali and Burkina Faso, and its potential impact on the stability of the Sahel region.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is aware that Burkina Faso's Prime Minister visited Mali in early February and referred to a 'federation' to boost their economic prospects. We are monitoring developments closely - Ministers have been clear that the approach that the Malian government is taking (including its partnership with Wagner Group) is counterproductive to regional security. The UK is a committed donor to the Sahel - in Mali and Burkina Faso, most of our funding is spent on humanitarian aid. The UK supports regional institutions including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union and are considering what support we could provide to regionally led initiatives such as the Accra Initiative to help prevent the spread of violence and foster long-term stability.

UK Trade with EU: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government, further tothe indication by the European Commission that it will not implement new arrangements for retail food consignments until new inspection facilities at Northern Ireland ports have been both completed and audited, whether they will extend full grace periods in all these areas until such changes are implemented by the European Commission.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: All current grace periods, including the Scheme for Temporary Agri-food Movements to Northern Ireland (STAMNI) arrangements will continue to be in place until further notice. If operators are not moving goods via STAMNI, they will continue to be subject to full EU checks and controls.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government whether all haulage vehicles transporting food retail or goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland in consignments intended to remain in Northern Ireland will be fitted on each trip with a seal designed to track movement of the goods and ensure that the consignment is not altered or added to until the completion of its journey.

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what the cost of each seal used to enable monitoring and protect the movement of each trip containing a consignment of food retail or goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will be; and whether the cost of such seals will be met by His Majesty’s Government or the individual haulier.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is correct that goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, including food retail goods, which are intended to stay in Northern Ireland, will travel in sealed consignments to ensure that only internal UK traders are able to move goods without being subject to tariffs.

Ukraine: War Crimes

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to bring to justice of those responsible for war crimes, potential genocide, and the abduction of children in Ukraine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are making every effort to assist the International Criminal Court (ICC) and other international investigations as appropriate, including leading international efforts to build support to the work of the ICC in Ukraine. On 20 March, the Deputy Prime Minister co-hosted an international Justice Ministers Conference at Lancaster House, generating over £4 million in voluntary contributions and new offers of practical support for the ICC and its investigation into the situation in Ukraine. Further to the £1 million financial contribution from 2022, the UK announced an additional £1 million financial contribution to the ICC at the Justice Ministers Conference. The Government is exploring further the provision of expertise, advice and training including specialist support for children.

Ukraine: War Crimes

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress is being made to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression in Ukraine; and what contribution they are planning to provide in relation to resources and judicial expertise.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to holding Russia to account for its actions in Ukraine, including by supporting the International Criminal Court and Ukrainian domestic investigations into allegations of war crimes committed in Ukraine. As the Foreign Secretary announced on 20 January, the UK has accepted Ukraine's invitation to join a 'core group' to consider options for ensuring criminal accountability for Russia's aggression against Ukraine, including possibly through a special tribunal. Discussions are ongoing. These are complex issues of international law, which the group must be allowed time to consider. The UK also stands ready to work with Ukraine on establishing a register of damages.

Treasury

Digital Technology: Taxation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a new digital services tax.

Baroness Penn: The UK introduced a 2 per cent Digital Services Tax (DST) in April 2020 to ensure that providers of search engines, social media platforms, and online marketplaces pay UK tax on digital services that reflects the value they derive from UK users. The UK remains committed to reaching a global solution on reallocation of taxing rights under Pillar One of the G20-OECD Inclusive Framework project. It has always been our intention to remove the DST once this global solution is in place. The UK continues multi-lateral discussions to reach that global solution.

VAT: Northern Ireland

Lord Lilley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will be able to (1) zero rate, and (2) exempt, additional goods and services from VAT in Northern Ireland under the terms of the Windsor Framework.

Lord Lilley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will be able to raise theVAT registration threshold in Northern Ireland under the terms of the Windsor Framework.

Lord Lilley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will be able to (1) zero rate, and (2) exempt, new goods and services from VAT under the terms of the Windsor Framework.

Baroness Penn: The Windsor Framework establishes new freedoms for the UK to set VAT rates and thresholds in Northern Ireland that go far beyond those available before EU Exit. That includes the ability to zero rate additional goods for VAT.

Married People: Tax Allowances

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Penn on 20 February (HL5473), what estimate they have made of the total cost of marriage tax allowance; and what recent assessment they have made of raising the threshold.

Baroness Penn: The Marriage Allowance is estimated to cost £600 million in 2022-2023. The Chancellor has made clear that the UK’s public finances must be on a sustainable path. For this reason, the Marriage Allowance has remained targeted at basic rate taxpayers, and those who earn below the Personal Allowance.

Home Office

Illegal Migration Bill

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the report byWomen for Refugee WomenSee Us, Believe Us, Stand with Us, published on 2 March, and(2) the implications of their Illegal Migration Bill on the experiences of lesbian and bisexual women seeking asylum in the UK.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: An equalities impact assessment will be published for the Illegal Migration Bill in due course.

Asylum: Rwanda

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to thepublication by the US Department of State 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Rwanda which deemed conditions at detention centres in Rwanda as "harsh and life-threatening", what stepsthey are taking to ensure that any migrant sent to Rwanda is (1) housed in adequate accommodation, and (2)has theirhuman rightsprotected.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Under the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP), relocated individuals will not be detained. They will be housed in appropriate accommodation and provided with support in accordance with the standards and assurances set out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Notes Verbale.An independent Monitoring Committee will monitor the entire relocation process and compliance with assurances in the MoU, including the processing of asylum claims and provision of accommodation and support in Rwanda.Our own comprehensive assessment as set out in the relevant country policy and information notes (CPINs) assesses that Rwanda is a safe and secure country. Our CPINs are kept under constant review and are published on the Gov.UK website.

Security: Embassies

Lord Leong: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of vandalism and disorder thattook place outside the High Commission of India in London on 19 March; and what steps they are taking to ensure the safety and security of diplomatic missions.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Government takes the protective security of the Indian High Commission extremely seriously. The Government remains committed to protecting the security of missions throughout the UK, including preventing and rapidly and robustly responding to incidents such as this.The criminal damage and assaults on staff from the India High Commission at the incident on the weekend of the 18th March was unacceptable. The police have powers to deal with such acts. However, the use of these powers is an operational matter for the police, and decisions on possible criminal proceedings will be made in conjunction with the Crown Prosecution Service.It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on diplomatic security arrangements. To do so could compromise the integrity of those arrangements and affect the security of the individuals and locations concerned.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health: Women

Baroness Thornton: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the particular mental health and wellbeing of ethnic minority girls and young women.

Lord Markham: Whilst we are not taking steps nationally to address specifically the particular mental health and wellbeing of ethnic minority girls and young women, we are expanding access to mental health services through the NHS Long Term Plan, which commits to investing an additional £2.3 billion a year for mental health services by 2023/24, so that an additional two million people, including girls and young women from minority ethnic groups, can access National Health Service-funded mental health support. NHS England launched its first Advancing mental health equalities strategy in October 2020 to support the ambition of reducing mental health inequalities outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan. The strategy summarises the core actions that NHS England will take to bridge the gaps for communities faring worse than others in mental health services, including black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, and women in secure care settings. A copy of the strategy is attached. The Government and NHS England are also taking forward non-legislative work to address racial disparities, including the piloting of Culturally Appropriate Advocacy services by the Department. These are exploring approaches to identifying, supporting, and advocating for the specific cultural needs of people from ethnic minority groups.Advancing mental health equalities strategy (pdf, 410.5KB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Phytophthora Ramorum: Disease Control

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Benyon on 21 March (HL6420), what steps they are taking to provide financial (1) assistance, or (2) compensation, to those carrying out Statutory Plant Health Notices.

Lord Benyon: Statutory Plant Health Notices (SPHNs), requiring the felling and/or destruction of infected trees or the containment of susceptible material, are issued to prevent the spread of tree pests and diseases. It has been the policy of successive governments not to pay compensation for plant health measures, as we believe that resources should be directed at the detection of pests and diseases, risk management and research. Protecting plant health is not an issue for the Government alone. The current arrangements ensure that everyone shares a common understanding of biosecurity and their role and responsibilities. Individual landowners are responsible for the care and management of trees on their land; however, Government advice and financial support is available. Detailed case-specific advice is available from Forestry Commission Woodland Officers, who can support landowners with undertaking SPHN actions, and the Countryside Stewardship Scheme provides financial support for those affected by certain tree diseases. This includes support for the removal of Phytophthora ramorum infected trees and rhododendron, and grants for restocking following clearance because of this and other diseases (e.g. ash dieback and sweet chestnut blight). In 2021, we launched a series of pilot grant schemes for land managers, which test and refine different ways to slow the spread of tree pests and diseases and build the resilience of our treescape in the North West, the South East (including London) and the West Midlands. The Forestry Commission will support the felling and restocking of trees as well as providing maintenance payments for restock sites. Land managers are eligible if they have:Ash with ash diebackLarch with Phytophthora ramorumSpruce growing in the high-risk spruce bark beetle areaSweet chestnut with either Sweet Chestnut Blight or Phytophthora ramorumOak infested with Oak Processionary Moth In 2023 we introduced the tree health advice package for all SPHN holders[1], which aims to build land managers knowledge and awareness of tree health issues and woodland management, through providing funding for forestry/land agent advice and consultation to assist in creating a biosecurity management plan, and funding for biosecurity training and a personal biosecurity kit. [1] Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN) advice package - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Oil: Poole

Baroness Boycott: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the'polluter pays' principle will apply to the oil spill in Poole; and if it does not, what plans they have to extend the principle to includesuchincidents of accidental environmental damage.

Lord Benyon: The polluter pays principle does apply to the oil spill in Poole. Claims by those suffering financially from this oil spill can be made to Perenco’s insurers. Perenco have opened an email address which potential claimants can use. When the law allows public bodies may be able to reclaim costs resulting from the response and recovery operations. Those agencies likely to reclaim costs include the Environment Agency (EA), Natural England and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science. The EA has statutory powers to recover costs from an environmental incident, in line with the polluter pays principle, and always seeks to recharge where possible.

Ministry of Defence

BRIXMIS: General Service Medal

Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reconsider the decision not to award a clasp to the General Service Medal for service in BRIXMIS.

Baroness Goldie: Cases regarding historic medallic recognition are a matter for the independent Advisory Military Sub-Committee (AMSC) to consider.In 2020, the AMSC considered the issue of awarding a clasp to the General Service Medal for service on the British Commander-in-Chief's Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany (BRIXMIS), and the recommendation of the Sub-Committee was that BRIXMIS did not meet the criteria for medallic recognition. This recommendation was accepted by the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals. Any review of this issue would be for the AMSC to consider in the first instance.

Department for Education

Pupil Exclusions: Girls and Women

Baroness Thornton: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to understand the drivers behind young women and girls’ official and unofficial school exclusions, in order to tackle the over-representation of ethnic minorities among those excluded.

Baroness Barran: Continuing to improve behaviour in schools is a priority for the government. Head teachers use suspensions and permanent exclusions when required as part of creating calm, safe and supportive classrooms. Schools should only use permanent exclusion as a last resort, and the Department supports teachers in taking proportionate and measured steps to ensure good behaviour in schools.Informal or unofficial exclusions are unlawful, and the department has previously written to schools to remind them of the rules on suspension and permanent exclusion.Analysis from the Timpson Review of School Exclusion (2019) illustrated a complex picture but, on the whole, there is no substantial difference in permanent exclusion rates when comparing all ethnic minority children as a whole with white British children. More information on the Timpson Review of School Exclusion can be found attached.The updated 'School suspension and permanent exclusion’ guidance sets out that schools, local authorities, and local partners should work together to understand what lies behind local trends.The department’s ‘Understanding your data: a guide for school governors and academy trustees’ guidance also makes clear governing boards should carefully consider the level and characteristics of pupils who are leaving the school, and challenge the school and academy trust management teams on any permanent exclusions to ensure it is only used as a last resort.Schools also have a clear duty not to discriminate against pupils under the Equality Act 2010. Ofsted’s assessment of behaviour in schools includes specific consideration of rates, patterns and reasons for exclusions, as well as any differences between groups of pupils.HL7034_pdf (pdf, 2926.5KB)

Education: Girls and Women

Baroness Thornton: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support and protect at-risk girls and young women in education settings, including against poor mental health and sexual harassment.

Baroness Barran: The department is committed to helping education settings provide the safe, calm, and supportive learning environments that promote good wellbeing and reduce risk of harm. This includes considering how we can best support girls and young women who may be at higher risk of sexual harassment or poor mental health.The government’s Tackling Violence against Women and Girls Strategy sets out the actions that we are taking and the progress that we have made to prevent violence and harassment and protect victims. It includes the introduction of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, the Enough communications campaign, and changes to the law to introduce new criminal offences, including up-skirting and revenge porn. We will also be publishing non-statutory guidance specifically focused on teaching about sexual harassment and sexual violence.As part of the strategy, we are determined to make sure the right resources and processes are in place across the education system to support any victims of abuse who come forward. The department published strengthened statutory school safeguarding guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education in September 2021. The guidance has been further strengthened for 2022, ensuring schools have even clearer guidance on how to deal with reports of sexual abuse. Revised guidance includes the ‘Sexual violence and sexual harassment advice’, putting this on a statutory footing to give the issue the prominence it deserves. The department is also trialling the impact of supervision for designated safeguarding leads, with a particular focus on supporting them to respond to sexual abuse issues.As well as supporting pupils to understand their mental health, the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum in schools ensures all pupils are taught about respectful relationships. This includes learning that some types of behaviour within relationships are criminal, what constitutes sexual harassment and sexual violence, and why these are always unacceptable. The department has started a review of the RSHE statutory guidance and continues to develop standalone non statutory guidance to support schools to teach about these issues effectively.Further education providers also have flexibility to offer aspects of RSHE. Providers should support students to access the support they need to have healthy relationships. The Ofsted Further Education and Skills inspection handbook includes personal development in its judgements, including students’ understanding of healthy relationships and how to keep themselves mentally healthy.In higher education (HE), the department expects all providers to have robust policies and procedures in place to comply with the law, including the Equality Act 2010, and to swiftly address reports of harassment and sexual misconduct. The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill includes a clause banning the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements to silence victims in cases of sexual misconduct in HE. The Office for Students (OfS) has also launched a consultation to make mandatory measures that will require providers to address student harassment.The department supports education settings to take effective approaches to supporting wellbeing and mental health. In schools and colleges, we are providing grants to train Senior Mental Health Leads and rolling out Mental Health Support Teams which can improve access to support. In HE, we have an ambition for all providers to sign up to Student Minds’ University Mental Health Charter by 2026. The OfS have funded the online platform Student Space. The department has asked them to allocate £15 million to establishing better partnerships between universities and local NHS service and support transitions into university.

Cabinet Office

Coronavirus and Influenza

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government why COVID-19 has been placed in the same Office for National Statistics reporting group as influenza; and, given that decision, why the provision of COVID-19 vaccinations is being treated differently to the provision of influenza vaccinations.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Noble Peer’s Parliamentary Question of 29 March is attached in the answer.The Rt Hon. the Lord MendelsohnHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW31 March 2023Dear Lord Mendelsohn,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking why COVID-19 has been placed in the same Office for National Statistics reporting group as influenza; and, given that decision, why the provision of COVID-19 vaccinations is being treated differently to the provision of influenza vaccinations (HL7017).In answering this Parliamentary Question, we have answered under the assumption that you are referring to our Influenza and other respiratory viruses pilot study, Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, UK: October 2022 to February 2023 [1] release of 27 March 2023.The Covid-19 Infection Survey published its final release on 24 March 2023 as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works to confirm its approach to infection surveillance. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) plans to work with existing survey participants to continue gathering valuable insight into the experiences of COVID-19, long-COVID and other respiratory infections. In the immediate future this will gather data such as symptoms that people are experiencing but will not include testing for infectious diseases.From October 2022 to February 2023, the ONS used a small sample from the Covid-19 Infection Survey to pilot the feasibility of testing participants for other respiratory infections and its report was published on 27 March 2023. This pilot study separately reported experimental results on the number of participants who tested positive for influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) while the latest Covid-19 infection results were reported in the regular statistical bulletin (released on Fridays at noon) [2].The ONS has announced no plans on the future reporting of data on respiratory infections. In terms of the provision of COVID-19 vaccinations, this would fall under the remit of the UKHSA who are responsible for vaccination policy in the UK.Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond [1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpectancies/articles/influenzaandotherrespiratoryvirusespilotstudycoronaviruscovid19infectionsurveyuk/october2022tofebruary2023[2] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/24march2023 UK Statistics Authority  (pdf, 113.2KB)

Domestic Abuse: Older People

Baroness Gale: To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect a report from the Office for National Statistics on the number of victims of domestic abuse of those over the age of 74.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Noble Peer’s Parliamentary Question of 29 March is attached in the answer. It should be noted that these estimates are not National Statistics and caution should be taken when using this, data due to the impact of the reduced data collection period and lower response rates on the quality of the estimates.The Rt Hon. Baroness GaleHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW31 March 2023Dear Lady Gale,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking when to expect a report from the Office for National Statistics on the number of victims of domestic abuse of those over the age of 74 (HL6995).Data collection for the face-to-face Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) resumed on 4 October 2021, with the upper age limit for the self-completion modules on domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking removed. Data based on six months of CSEW interviews between October 2021 and March 2022 were used in our domestic abuse articles for the year ending March 2022 [1].The CSEW estimated that 2.1% of adults aged 75 years and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2022. These data, as well as prevalence rates for other personal characteristics can be found in Table 6 of our Domestic abuse prevalence and victim characteristics tables [2]. Estimates for numbers of victims are only produced for our headline domestic abuse measures. It should be noted that these estimates are not National Statistics and caution should be taken when using these data due to the impact of the reduced data collection period and lower response rates on the quality of the estimates.We plan to release domestic abuse data for those aged 75 years and over for the year ending March 2023 in late November 2023 and will share this with you once published.Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond[1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/domesticabuseinen glandandwalesoverview/latest[2] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/domesticabuseprev alenceandvictimcharacteristicsappendixtables UK Statistics Authority  (pdf, 111.0KB)

Government Departments: Cybersecurity

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress in the adoption of the Cyber Assessment Framework across all government bodies.

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish thecyber audits of all government departments.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government Cyber Security Strategy, published in January 2022, sets out how we will build and maintain our cyber defences; by building greater cyber resilience across all government organisations, and working together to ‘defend as one’ - exerting a defensive force greater than the sum of our parts. The strategy sets a clear target for government’s most critical functions to be appropriately resilient by 2025, with all government organisations being resilient to known vulnerabilities and common attack methods by 2030. The strategy will see us roll out GovAssure in April as the foundation of a new, more robust independent assurance regime for the whole of government. With its foundations in the National Cyber Security Centre’s Cyber Assessment Framework, it will help us to understand our risk at scale and put us on the pathway to reducing it, as well as aligning Government with the best practice in management of wider UK Critical National Infrastructure sectors. Results of these reviews will not be published publicly for reasons of security. The progress on adopting the Cyber Assessment Framework across HMG is that pilots have been conducted with 3 government departments, and the wider scheme will launch in April.

Cybersecurity

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide an update on the implementation of the Cyber Security Strategy.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The National Cyber Strategy 2022 sets out how we will ensure that the UK continues to be a leading, responsible and democratic cyber power, able to protect and promote our interests in the rapidly evolving online world. We plan to publish the first of our annual progress reports this summer.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Buildings: Energy

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plansthey have to ensure that older buildings, which may be subject to stricter planning regulations, can become energy neutral.

Lord Callanan: There is no “one-size-fits-all" approach to tackle the UK’s diverse building stock. Changes need to be sensitive to the character, appearance and specific characteristics of a listed building Statutory guidance has been published for minimum energy efficiency standards for carrying out building work to existing homes (Part L1B of the Building Regulations), including guidance for listed buildings. Work is currently ongoing to meet the commitment in the British Energy Security Strategy to review the planning barriers households face when installing energy efficiency measures in conservation areas and listed buildings.

Heat Pumps: Housing

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government how much theyplan to invest in the installation of energy efficient heat pumps in homes as a replacement for gas boilers.

Lord Callanan: The Government is putting in place a combination of regulatory and public spending measures to achieve at least 600,000 heat pump installations a year by 2028. Support for Heat Pumps is available under a range of government schemes including, the Home Upgrade Scheme, Social Housing Decarbonisation scheme and Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The Government has announced we are extending the Boiler Upgrade Scheme until 2028, to support the installation of heat pumps, in domestic and small non-domestic buildings. This builds on £450 million of funding we have already committed between 2022 and 2025.

Carbon Emissions

Baroness Boycott: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Net zero policy tracker: March 2023 update, published by Green Alliance on 17 March; and in particular, the finding that only 28 per cent of emissions reductions needed to reach net zero by 2050 are covered by confirmed policies.

Lord Callanan: The Net Zero Growth Plan sets out the package that will meet carbon budgets. The Government has met every Carbon Budget to date and through the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan has set out quantified proposals and policies to exceed Carbon Budgets 4 and 5 and 97% of Carbon Budget 6.